African elephants are pillars of our natural world. More scientifically, they are classified as a ‘keystone species’, meaning they have a disproportionately high impact on the ecosystem relative to their population. Simply by existing, elephants support all forms of life in a myriad of ways. During the dry season, they dig for water in dry river beds, unleashing underground springs for creatures great and small. Their well-trod pathways to drinking sources create effective catchments in the rains, while their ample bodies create a seal as they wallow, helping waterholes better hold water for a longer period of time. Their dung is full of seeds, which fosters the genetic diversity of vegetation on the savanna. As elephants make their way through the landscape, they open up sterile bushland and create room for grasslands, allowing herbivores to thrive. Collectively, their everyday actions transform the landscape and drive a healthy ecosystem.

And yet, all that hangs in the balance. Research shows that one million animal and plant species are now at risk of extinction. Even our pillars of the natural world are not safe: In 2021, citing a broadscale decline across the continent, the African savanna elephant was listed as Endangered and the African forest elephant as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. According to assessments, the population of African savanna elephants has fallen by 60% in the past 50 years, while the number of African forest elephants has declined by 86% over a 31-year period.

One species has emerged as the single greatest threat to our natural world: humans. Human activities continue to destroy habitats, drive climate change, and decimate countless species. It sounds dire — and it certainly is — but all hope is not lost. As Sir David Attenborough noted in 'A Perfect Planet', a 2020 series in which we were honoured to be featured, "Human activity is now so dominant that it’s disrupting the forces of nature and the vital habitats life needs to survive on earth. To preserve our planet, we need to act now. And if we do that, there will still be time to restore the ecological balance that once made this Earth our perfect planet."

Scrolling through social media or reading the latest reports, one might despair for the future of our natural world. But here on the frontlines of conservation, the view looks different. Humans are capable of enormous disruption, but also of extraordinary progress. The ivory poaching epidemic of the 21st century is a visceral reminder of this. In 2012, 384 elephants were killed for their ivory in Kenya. Nearly every orphan we rescued that year lost their family to poachers.

Just as things were looking calamitous for the species, something miraculous happened: The world took notice and took action. Legislation was enacted, ivory markets were closed, stockpiles were burned, and —crucially — on-the-ground conservation efforts received global support. Year over year, progress was made. In 2020, the KWS reported a record low of 11 ivory poaching victims. While those are still too many lives lost to human greed, we must celebrate the decline in poaching.

Kenya’s 2021 Wildlife Census revealed that Kenya’s national elephant population currently stands at 36,280 — a 12 percent increase from 2014, the peak of the poaching crisis. In the Tsavo Conservation Area, where we focus the majority of our field efforts, 14,964 elephants were counted. That makes it home to the largest concentration of the country’s elephants.

This number includes more than 150 very special elephants: orphans raised by our hand, who have reclaimed their place in the wild. These elephants go on to have their own families; in fact, we have met 48 calves born to orphan elephants we rescued, rehabilitated, and reintegrated back into the wild. This is the defining aspect of our Orphans’ Project. By saving one life, we are paving the way for generations of elephants — and, given their role as a keystone species, supporting the health of an entire ecosystem in the process.

This is not the work of a few years, but the investment of a lifetime. As we nurture today’s orphans (of which there are many — we currently have over 100 milk-dependent elephants in our care), we are always looking forward. One day, they will be nurturing their own families, and we must ensure they have a safe place to put down roots for generations to come. While elephants are the species we are best known for protecting, our commitment extends to all Kenya’s creatures. Through our Saving Habitats, Anti-Poaching and Canine Unit, Mobile Veterinary, Aerial Surveillance, Water for Wildlife, and Community Outreach initiatives — and underpinned entirely by the generosity of supporters — we are delivering on this promise, each and every day.